Taiwan beef noodle soup

Traditional medicine store owner Gu Cheng-pu knows her dispensary can only stay open as long as her ailing father-in-law lives, their careers hostage to a quirk in Taiwanese law that is killing off the industry. At the back of her shop in New Taipei City, Gu tips a plate of freshly cut Chinese liquorice roots into a wok of boiling honey, the first step in preparing one of her many traditional remedies. "Chinese herbal medicine stores are a unique cultural icon," the 36-year-old explains. "They are not just a place where you come when you are sick to pick up medicine." But shops like hers are dying out -- with some 200 closing their doors every year -- even though traditional medicine remains wildly popular in Taiwan. Authorities have not issued any new licenses since 1998 and those that exist cannot be passed down to younger generations. Gu's father-in-law is the license owner but he recently suffered a stroke and she now fears the worst. "If I am forced to close shop, the … [Read more...] about Taiwan’s traditional medicine stores struggle on life support